Distance Course on Electronic Democracy and Identity Theft

Distance courses and programs must be justified. Here are some arguments fro DL.

Why must they be justified?

Because they are something new we want to do so we have to justify that. The status quo is the existing condition so everyone assumes that's what the world is supposed to look like.

In order to make a case for change and for accelerating distance education we have to build the case around a business model that justifies and validates the cost benefit profile of distance learning. In addition, we need to make a case that distance education can be an ethical and high quality revenue source.

I don't think there is a comprehesible and consistent business model for distance learning at most universities.

It would be useful to do a comparative assessment of university DL business models and incorporate some of the best features of each into a model business plan.

Many colleges treat Distance Learning as an orphan of the normal business plan. They figger that only "DL Universities" need to conceptualize the unique business issues of Distance Learning. NOT TRUE! Distance Learning is a unique environment and needs exceptional, special, customized features to function effectively.

The sooner the better. One of the most damaging consequences of having an ambiguous business plan is that almost nothing else stable can be built until the product development, financing, marketing, and revenue sharing are clear and predictable.

Posted by Steffen at 02:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nombody wants to catch a virus. Viruses are hard to control they spread and infect lots of people.

Yeah Baby! That's the idea behind viral marketing! You "infect" critical "carriers" with the information about some really cool educational program you are promoting. The "carriers" then "spread" the information and you cover dozens, hundreds, thousands, or millions.

Well neighbors, most of us do ot have a clue how to create an effective "virus" in the first place- something really"out there" exciting, different, risky, and cool. (Yeah ... at a univeristy where people have lifetime jobs! We are like the US Supreme Court. Talk about exciting ... NOOOOT!).

Say you manage somehow to create a really exciting virus of education. Now you need to find a host to transmit this and spread it. Where do we go for THAT?! Zdo YOU know people who know hundreds or thousaands of people who can "spread" this thing?

Ok, have I made my point?

There is magic in the new viral marketng world of the Internet.

1. You need a cool virus that's more than a low level rash.

2. You need to infect people who actually will spread it and not just sit at home alone in the dark watching TV and scratching theselves.

3. Then it needs to be spread to the right people. I mean, you don't want to get 1 and 2 right on the money but be trying to sell pork chops to Jewish or Islamic people!

Keep working on this, ok?!

Posted by Steffen at 06:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Distance learning is the orphan of big universities.

There, I said it.

At many universities, distance learning classes just don't fit in. It's almost a cultural thing.

No one seems to know where distance classes should fit, what sort of tuition should be charged for these courses, and how faculty should be compensated.

I am not talkin' about extension classes, workshops, or special non-credit programs. I'm speakin' about regular, academic, for-credit, classes. Graduate and undergraduate courses linked to departments and programs.

First, but I repeat myself, there is a weird notion that Internet, Web-Based classes are not as good as face-to-face courses.

Second, there is a very profound lack of understanding by many administrators and dept chairs of what exactly distance learning classes are. So, naturally, there is a lot of misunderstanding.

Third, there is the feeling that DL classes are no work and "run themselves". So, once developed they should not count as a part of the teaching load or that an instructor should be compensated each time theyr teach such a class.

Fourth, most universities do not have any credible and consistent central administration leadership that sets a framework which must be applied (let me repeat MUST BE) by subordinate academic units.

All of this amounts to a very weak competitive advantage for universities as they bid for students and dollars in cyberspace.

Unless we resolve these issues mainstream public and private universities will be at a serious disadvantage in competing for the new mobile and agile students looking for classes and programs in today's post secondary environment.

Let us pray!

Posted by Steffen at 07:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)